After the Ball
by slytherinsandwitch
Summary: The war is over, and another Yule Ball is thrown. After being hurt by Ron, Hermione seeks refuge, only to run into the one and only, Draco Malfoy. Together, the two run into magical creatures and crazy adventures. An epic dramione!
1. Chapter 1

After the Ball

Chapter 1

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own Harry Potter or anything else.

~DM~

It was the year after the war, and finally things were going back to normal. To celebrate, Hogwarts was hosting yet another Yule Ball. All wizarding schools were invited to enjoy the festivities, and everyone spent months preparing. Unlike last year, things would be more modern and less formal.

Only hours before the ball, Hermione straightened her hair, then curled them into big, luscious curls that shortened her hair to her shoulders. She did her makeup, applying white eyeshadow and soft black eyeliner. Then she added a delicate amount of mascara, and some light blush. Then she stepped into her dress.

Hermione peaked her head from the wall at the top of the staircase. Cautiously, she stepped into view, and the whole hall fell silent. Of course, everyone expected Hermione to look gorgeous, but now… she was breathtaking in a different way. Her silver dress sparkled in the moonlight (Hermione's dress:  g02. .  ). She bounced down the steps, causing her hair to bounce freely. Unlike the previous Yule Ball, she wasn't strapped into a ball gown, she was free. Her eyes shined like a million stars. That was, until Lavender Brown came along.

Lavender entered quite differently. Parvati and Padma dashed to her side at the top of the stairs, and together they cued the pop music and acted as background dancers. The two wore identical bright purple To everyone's surprise, Lavender was dressed like she was going to a club. For one thing, her hair was sleek and straight. Its color was an artificial shade of yellow, and you could tell she recently died it because it was bone dry. Her attempt at a smokey eye was a little messy. Her makeup was so thick, it seemed almost like a mask. Her dress was metallic and black, and too tight to be worn by anyone, including her. (Lavender's dress:  .  ) _If I wore that dress, I would constantly pull it up in the northern area and pull it down in the south,_ thought Hermione. Lavender bopped her hips with her minions, and preformed an entertaining show for all the boys in the house. Hermione, who was watching from the bottom of the stairs, surveyed all of the boy's faces. In their eyes were a fire of lust, and Hermione just rolled her eyes. _Teenage boys._

Hermione was about to make a witty side-comment to her boyfriend, Ron, but he was gone. Spinning around looking for him, she spotted him and his orange hair on the staircase, approaching Lavender! _Oh my Merlin. What is he doing?_ Hermione was nervous. She didn't want to be. She wanted to trust him, she wanted to know that he would not make a move on her…but she could sense that part of his heart was for Lavender. It was always for Lavender.

Watching Ron walk up the steps caused Hermione to sweat. As he finally approached the dancing "popstar," he grabbed her hand. Lavender whipped her face to meet his, then realized who it was and smirked. Padma and Parvati dashed to change the music to Latin as more and more people gathered to watch the two. Seeing the attentive audience, Lavender spun into Ron's arms and he dipped her back. Hermione was standing in complete shock, and as their lips grew closer, tears welled up in her eyes.

As their lips were just about to meet, Hermione fled the scene in tears. As she pushed through the sea of people, her gold bracelet got caught onto someone's suit. Without knowledge of the cussing person stumbling behind her keeping up so that they wouldn't rip their suit, Hermione burst into tears. As the cheers and shouting grew fainter, Hermione's sobs grew heavier. She heard someone yelling at her, but she was too distraught to care or hear over her uncontrollable hiccups. The person's hand grabbed her arm, but she violently shook it off. Suddenly, the person grabbed her shoulders and pinned her to the wall.

"Granger, what the hell? Are you deaf or something? If you knew how much this suit- Wait. Are you crying?" he asked, squinting his eyes to inspect her face as he untangled his suit and her bracelet.

"…just let me go," she said pleaded, tears streaming down her face.

"Let me guess, it was Weasel, wasn't it?" he snorted, "Was that damn son of a bitch getting heavy with that slut again?" he asked, trying to meet her eye. Avoiding eye contact, Hermione now look upward. She wasn't going to let this low-life get inside her head.

But what if what he's saying is true? Has Ron been with Lavender this whole time?

"[sniff]…what do you mean by again?" she asked weakly, biting her lip.

"Man, Granger! Don't tell me you didn't know!" he grinned, amused. "Those two sneak around all the time! I ran into them a few time entwined in a dark corner while I was on night duty," he stated. Unfortunately for Hermione, Malfoy was tall enough to tower over her, meeting her eye. Hermione looked at him with a pleading look, breathing shaking breaths from the crying. Tears again, began to roll down her soft cheeks once more.

"sonofabitch," she muttered under her breath, glancing down.

"Sorry Granger, couldn't catch that," he asked, amused. She then locked eyes with him.

"My apologies, Malfoy. I said, son-of-a-bitch. Seems to me like you're the one who's deaf," she said, her voice dripping with bitter sarcasm.

"Kitty has claws! You know, that comment really hurt me. My heart is in pain," he said standing up, holding his heart with a pained look.

"You know what else is in pain?" With that, Hermione wound up her fist and fired it right in-between his ribs.

"Gah!" Gasping for air, Malfoy hunched over, and Hermione took her chance and sped off to Gryffindor Tower. Just as the portrait was in sight, Ron, Lavender, Parvati and Padma were exiting from the portrait. Bringing her hands to her face, she realized her mascara was smeared and eyes were puffy from crying. They couldn't see her in this state! She, for the second time that day, dashed from the scene. With her glittering dress and curled hair floating behind her, she fled to the pond, the only deserted place she could currently find.

Plopping down at the edge of the pond, Hermione finally was alone, in the darkness of the night. Running her hands through her hair, she absorbed the cool air. She was in peace, and was no longer sad.

Well, that was a lie. She did feel disappointed, with who, she didn't know yet. Was she upset with herself for not opening her eyes to see the truth, or Ron, who stooped so low and cheated? She was so busy contemplating, she didn't hear the footsteps behind her.

"Nice to see you here."

In her shock, Hermione lost her balance and fell forward into the freezing pond. Flailing her arms, she gasped for air as she gulped down gallons of water. The water was black in the night, and was so cold, Hermione could feel it chilling her bones. The girl began to sink, as bubbles streamed from her mouth. She cursed herself for wearing gold accessories. _No! I can't die, not now! To think, I've faced giants, dragons, an army of deatheaters, and I'm going to die drowning in the school pond? For goodness sakes, Hogwarts is the safest place in the world!_ Hermione fought the pull, but she would never make it to the surface in time, and she was growing more exhausted by the second. Hermione started to grow weaker and her eyelids grew heavier. She was about to drown when someone plunged into the water. The figure grabbed her from under the armpits and lugged them both out of the freezing water. Both of them dripping, Hermione coughed madly and rolled onto the grass.

"Damn it, Granger! Why did you have to do that?"

Gathering her composure, Hermione glanced up at the standing figure. He wore no shirt, and was dripping wet. He was extremely pale in the moonlight, and his soaking hair was falling in his face.

"Edward?" Hermione asked, mystified.

"Who the hell is Edward?" he asked, completely baffled.

"Never mind, muggle reference, and not a good one," she told him, beginning to stand up. She flicked her hands to get them dry, and it splattered into his face.

"Ach!"

"Oh! I'm sorry!" she said, biting her lip nervously. "Well, my clothes are soaking."

"No kidding. Mine to," he said, toneless.

"I need something else to change into," she said, looking around on the floor. Sighing, she whipped out her wand. "Accio." Soon, a yellow shirt and jeans came buzzing from the halls into her arms. Spinning around, she muttered, "Bush…bush…bush…Bush!" and dashed behind to a tall bush.

"So…you're changing? In front of me. The Slytherin Sex God?" he asked disbelievingly.

"Not in front of you, I'm behind a bush, duh. And, come on! I'm Hermione freaking Granger! You have no interest in me, I think I'm safe," she said emerging from the bush. Malfoy stared at her shirt. It was a soft, faded yellow, and fitted enough to show off her curves.

"What?" she asked noticing his stare, and looked down at her shirt.

"Nice rack, Granger," he said with no shame, his eyes not leaving her breasts.

"[scoff] Nasty face, ferret," she sneered with a hint of a blush, tying her hair up into a high ponytail.

"Oh please, you can't resist my sexy beat-like bod! Nobody can!" He said, running a hand through his hair.

"Beast is right," she grumbled, balling up her dress and storing it in her beaded handbag.

"Stop hiding it. I know you're in my fan club, it's nothing to be ashamed of," he claimed while standing like superman.

"Oh no! My secret is out! Whatever shall I do now?" she exclaimed dramatically, falling to the floor as if she were dead.

"Hardy har har. Har. Hey, you still haven't thanked me for _saving your life!"_

Hermione then stood up, and bowed, saying, "I give you my most sincere gratitude, my liege."

"Funny. Was that too much to ask?" he asked, flipping his blonde locks.

"Yes. You run around acting like a king, when really, you are just a little bully. You have been so nasty to me in the past, I shouldn't thank you. You put other people down, and that brings you joy. Like how it brings your little aunt joy when she tortures people. Where is she now? Off torturing more innocent children? Oh wait, she's dead," she said with extreme confidence, but then looked at Malfoy. He glared at her with all the hate he possessed, and scowled.

"Take that back."

"No, it's a fact and-" she said, crossing her arms with her head held high.

"I said, take it back. Now!" he shouted, advancing her with red flame in his eyes.

~DM~

 **Author's Note:** I spent many hours on this chapter and I can't wait to hear what you think! Do not be shy with the comments. Please, if you find any mistakes, please point them out to me, or just tell me if you liked it. If you didn't, feel free to tell me why. I want to make this story as good as it can be. I've already started on the next chapter, so be ready for more! Remember, I will reply to every comment at the beginning of every chapter,t so PLEASE COMMENT!

You may have noticed the links to Hermione and Lavender's dress. Just highlight, copy, then paste into the "bar". I don't know about you, but when I read a story, I like to have the picture of what the author is describing in my head. My sister, she likes to imagine the things herself. My sister and I are so different… Oh yeah, let me know what you think. In the future, do you want me to have the links, or do you just want me to describe the dresses? Let me know what you prefer in a comment!

Some may be upset that Hermione was crying so much, and think that it's out of character. I, on the other hand, thinks it's completely fine. She just watched her boyfriend make a move on his ex in front of the whole school, which is pretty traumatic. After liking Ron for years, I believe that it is perfectly normal to be emotional. Just wanted to put that out there, because I got attacked on a previous fanfiction for making Hermione emotional. Let me know what you think, is this just too out of character of Hermione, or do you agree with me and think this response was normal.

Enough of me, I should be working on the next chappy! Hope you guys liked it!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

 **Disclaimer:** Sadly, I do not own Harry Potter, or any Harry Potter characters. That, is property of the fabulous JK Rowling.

 **Comments:**

lirael61: Good eyes! Thanks for catching that, I wouldn't have. Haha, right after I read your comment I wasted no time rushing to fix my error. I totally freaked out. Maybe you can look out for more mistakes in the future! You can be my 'mistake man' [oh god that was horrible]. Anyways… thanks for commenting. I appreciate it!

~DM~

Previously…

 _You put other people down, and that brings you joy. Like how it brings your little aunt joy when she tortures people. Where is she now? Off torturing more innocent children? Oh wait, she's dead," she said with extreme confidence, but then looked at Malfoy. He glared at her with all the hate he possessed, and scowled._

 _"_ _Take that back."_

 _"_ _No, it's a fact and-" she said, crossing her arms with her head held high._

 _"_ _I said, take it back. Now!" he shouted, advancing her with red flame in his eyes._

~DM~

Suddenly fearful, Hermione paled, and realized how cold it was. Their breath blew out in white clouds that lingered in the air. Her back suddenly bumped into the bush she changed behind, and she realized that she had been backing up. Feeling threatened, Hermione frantically whipped around searching for her wand. Suddenly, she spotted it at the very edge of the lake. Malfoy swerved around to see where her attention was, smirked, and used his magic to push it into the lake with a "blup," and Hermione watched it sink into the black pool of water. At that moment, Hermione's heart sunk to the bottom of her stomach. Sweat formed on her back and she was on the brink of tears. _Come on, Hermione! Snap out of it! Why do you have to be emotional tonight?_

Turning around to meet the hopeless girl, Malfoy began approaching her again. Hermione desperately looked for an escape route, and realized her only way out would be to go into the woods. Acting fast, she ran as fast as her legs could carry her.

After running through the outskirts of the forest, she glanced up at the sky. Dark clouds were looming towards the moon, and she felt a raindrop fall onto her cheek. One by one, more raindrops fell on Hermione's face, causing her to shiver with cold. Blinking the drops off of her eyelashes, she noticed that the sky was completely covered in huge, dark grey clouds. Gradually, the drizzle turned into a pour, and her hair was soon soaking wet. She managed to gain her normal breathing pace, and she relaxed slightly. Running her hand through her dripping hair, she heard leaves and twigs breaking under someone's feet, and the noise was getting louder. Panic stricken, Hermione glanced around, and spotted a dark figure with shining blonde hair. Helpless, Hermione ran in the opposite direction in a panic.

Thousands of raindrops ran into her face, and her whole body was completely soaked, but she didn't dare stop. Thinking she lost him, Hermione stumbled over to a thin birch tree and leaned on it with her extended arms. She couldn't remember a time she ran that far that fast.

Without warning, strong arms knocked her back hard onto the tree, knocking the air out of Hermione. Gasping, Hermione peered at the figure's face. It was pale (what else is new?), his grey eyes blazed, and his soaking hair fell into them. His dripping black T-shirt clung to his body, giving Hermione a sneak peek at his muscular torso. Not that that mattered at the moment. His surprisingly warm body was pressed up against Hermione's, making her stomach flip.

Meeting his eye, Hermione couldn't tell if he was aware of the closeness of the too and how it made her uncomfortable. His eyes were filled with anger and hate. She noticed he was clenching his teeth to help from lashing out at her.

"Take…take back what you said," he demanded as he attempted to catch his breath.

"Take what back," she asked. She cocked her head as if truly confused. She knew one thing was for sure, and that was that she was never going to apologize. Being tortured was the most traumatizing thing that ever happened to her. At night, Bellatrix invaded her sweetest dreams, and she was back in Malfoy Manor. Lying on the marble floor, screaming as Bellatrix carved into her arm. _Mudblood,_ it would read.

Hermione glanced at her arm where her scar had once been. Malfoy followed her eyes, and he smirked.

"That's what happens when you mess with us," he said, his face dangerous with his blonde hair falling into his face.

"Define _us._ "

"Don't play dumb with me. We both know that you are smarter than this. Stop stalling."

"I don't know what you-"

"Ach!" All of a sudden, an arrow came flying from behind Malfoy into his shoulder.

Suddenly, a sea of arrows from all directions flew towards the two. Acting fast, Malfoy grabbed Hermione's arm and lead them to a nearby log. They both leapt over it and took cover. Malfoy clutched his shoulder hissing breaths. The arrow was painfully stuck in his flesh. Concerned, Hermione crawled over to him and inspected the injury. When she gently touched the arrow, Malfoy snatched it away and growled at her.

At once, the creatures stopped firing. Freezing, they heard a four legged creature approach them. Hermione's heart was pounding so hard, she was sure Malfoy and the creature could hear it. The creature slowly rounded the log, revealing his body, and both didn't dare breath.

Standing in front of them, was a centaur. His long black hair blew in the wind in front of his sharp features. His horse-like body was a deep black and human-like skin was a dark tan. His unfriendly glare sent chills down Hermione's spine causing her to shiver. He circled the log never taking his eyes off them. His breath came out in clouds, making him look more menacing with his fangs. He studied the pair for a couple tense minutes, then yelled to his heard, "Take them!" Suddenly, all of the centaurs began to gallop, and four centaurs came for each teenager.

Frozen in terror, Hermione looked at Malfoy panic stricken. He was struggling, clenching his teeth as he tugged at his arms, which were straightened out by the half-man-half-horse creatures. Balls of sweat were forming on his forehead. One centaur for each limb, which made it impossible to escape. Lessons and facts about centaurs flooded into Hermione's brain, and she remembered reading something about them being as strong as young giants and as fast as full grown steed. _No kidding,_ she thought. Hermione attempted to yank all of her limbs at once, which had no effect on the centaurs at all. Her wet hair whipped into her face repeatedly because of the intense speed. She too formed sweat on her face from the struggling, and her mind was racing. Memories of lessons from Professor Snape and book pages zoomed through her mind as if there was a tornado. She tried to muster up a memory of learning some sort of centaur weakness. The loud noise of a million branches crunching simultaneously didn't help much. It was impossible to think.

The pack zoomed through the forest, and Hermione's watched the branches and leaves above zoom behind her as she traveled at an astonishing rate. Soon, the creatures slowed their pace, and came to a halt. In front of them were hundreds, maybe thousands of huts. All seemed to be made of vines, which was peculiar considering they were in a forest. The leaves on the towering trees above them shined from the sun's light. Something about the atmosphere seemed strange. The sky surrounding them was an eerie orange, and the air seemed just a tad foggy. To sum it up, the place seemed…magical! Suddenly, all of the muscles in her body loosened up and she felt sleepy. She could feel herself drifting into an unfamiliar state…

The place gave Malfoy the total zen vibe. He was creeped out. He glanced over at Hermione, who surprisingly seemed at peace. Her head was softly swaying side to side as she closed her eyes. Saying she was calm was an understatement. She was acting insane.

He slowly stood up groaning. Stopping a bunch of dirt and leaves on his black dress pants, he swore loudly and tried to brush it off but he somehow could. _For Merlin's sake! If these monstrosities knew how much these pants cost, they would be ironing them while wearing aprons!_ He struggled with his hands trying to escape the ties.

 _Wha- are these made of vines? What the hell? There aren't vines in this forest! Oh my Merlin! Their whole society is using vines for fricken everything! They even made their houses out of vines. Who does that? What's that in my- F #*! F #*! I HAVE A F #*ING ARROW IN MY SHOULDER! MERLIN, IT HURTS LIKE THE DEVIL! OMIGOSH! I'M BLEEDING! CRAP! I'M DYING! THIS IS THE END! I DIDN'T WANT IT TO END LIKE THIS! I CAN'T EVEN SAY MY GOODBYES BECAUSE I'M SEPARATED FROM FRICKEN HUMANITY! Wait a minute. WAIT A MINUTE! Granger's cloths are completely dry! What's up with that? … Hey! I'm still wet! That's no fair! Just wait till my father hears about this!_

Malfoy though as he stared intensely at a nearby centaur. His horse-like parts were a crisp white, and his skin was fair. His hair fell beyond his shoulders, white and silky. It was held up by a beaded string, creating the half up half down look. Unlike most of the other centaurs, he had no facial hair. He had high cheekbones and crystal clear skin. _Who the hell is this guy? He doesn't even look like a centaur. Besides the horse body, tail, hooves, and mane. Oh wait, never mind. He doesn't have a mane._

Noticing the two outsiders, the white centaur walked over to a group of others, giving the two humans confused glances. After a quick discussion, he galloped over to the pair who were sitting on the dirt floor.

"Follow me." He made it clear that Malfoy was not in the position to argue, but being the insensitive brat he is, he ignored this.

"Why should I?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"It would be unwise of you to be uncooperative. Now, come with me," the centaur said sternly.

"How about…no?" The centaur's eyes narrowed. He whistled, and on command, two brown muscular centaurs appeared. They seized the struggling pureblood as well as Hermione. Strangely enough, Hermione didn't seem to care about…well, anything at the moment. Her eyes were hazy and her head was gently swaying.

The last thing Malfoy remembered was being brought under a roof and being placed on the softest matress…

"Hey Brock?"

"What troubles you, Butch?"

"So…those two humans we moved…"

"The ones for further investigation? What about them?"

"Did they…are…"

"Spit it out, Butch. Mars is bright tonight."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"What do you mean 'what does that have to do with anything?' Have you learned nothing in the past twelve years of lesson and learning?"

"I…have. Go on."

"If I may continue, the planets are telling the beings of Earth that words are wise, even if not intelligent."

"…yea…yes, or course."

"So…"

"So…?"

"Speak your mind, the universe encourages you."

"Well, it's not really…it sorta…are the two…the humans...are they…"

"Ah. I can see your inquiry."

"You can?"

"Yes. There is little I know of love, but I know one thing. That boy, something is off. See the way he isn't effected by our atmosphere and the gases it possesses?"

"Now that you mention it…"

"The air is why we chose to settle here. Many species, including humans, fall into a dreamy state once they breathe in the mystical gases. All humans who enter our territory, they must contain the one thing he does not have. Love. Otherwise, they are unaffected by the air and are a danger to us all."

"So what you're saying is…"

"Yes, I am saying they are not a "thing", as the kids say."

"Wha- I've never heard that in my life."

"Neither have I, Butch. Neither have I."

"Damn it."

"Why are you frustrated, brother?"

"Oh, nothing. It's just that nothing interesting goes on around here, that's all."

"Astronomy does not satisfy you?"

"No, it just…let's save this conversation for another time."

"As you wish."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

 **Disclaimer:** I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters.

 **Comments:**

lirael61: Yes! I'm glad you understood. Sometime, somehow, our little Draco will learn to love…

AD-DM: Thank you so much for the support! I really hope you enjoy this chapter!

~DM~

Previously…

 _"_ _It would be unwise of you to be uncooperative. Now, come with me," the centaur said sternly._

 _"_ _How about…no?" The centaur's eyes narrowed. He whistled, and on command, two brown muscular centaurs appeared. They seized the struggling pureblood as well as Hermione. Strangely enough, Hermione didn't seem to care about…well, anything at the moment. Her eyes were hazy and her head was gently swaying._

 _The last thing Malfoy remembered was being brought under a roof and being placed on the softest matress…_

~DM~

Hermione's eyes fluttered open. She felt well-rested, refreshed, and happy. She stretched in her fluffy little bed. Spotting her nemesis, she greeted him with a, "Good morning, Draco," and sleepily fell back into a peaceful slumber.

The pacing teenager was in too much distress to hear the sleepy girl and her nonsense. _How do we get home? Will we be stuck here forever? Is it possible to escape? If so, how? What will they do to us if we get caught?_ Suddenly, Draco stopped and smacked his head as if emptying it of rotten ideas. _Woah, nobody said anything about a "we" or an "us". Just me. ME. That's the way it's always been and it's the way it's gonna be._ Nodding to himself approvingly, he glanced over at the heap of girl. He scowled. _Filthy no-good mudblood. I don't need to wait for her to wake up. That could take months._ Glaring at her, muttered, "I'm getting out of here."

He shoved his hand into his pocket and snatched his wand- wait a minute. _Where. The. Hell. Is. My. Wand._ Frantically stuffing his hands in every place possible (okay, not _there._ Dirty minded people…). He ran to the single window in the small hut.

He recently learned from experience that the window was blocked by an invisible barrier that _electrocuted_ you if you got too close. Malfoy shivered when he remember how he flung himself through the window (unsuccessfully). He just laid there like a slug for a few minutes with his hair standing on end. He thanked Merlin his father couldn't see him then. A centaur guard pounded the hut wall with his staff-like spear as if warning the blonde to be quiet. As he slowly recovered from being baked alive, he noticed that his shoulder didn't hurt anymore. There wasn't even the slightest clue of there ever being a wound. Carelessly, he shrugged it off.

Desperate for his wand, Malfoy banged his fist against the wall that was next to window.

"GIVE ME BACK MY WAND, YOU LOWLIVES!" he yelled, causing Hermione to stir. She lazily opened her eyes, watching the lunatic yell his head off.

"Draco, are you aware that these walls are soundproof?"

Ignoring the girl, Malfoy continued to pound the walls. His voice bounced against the walls, doing no good for anybody. Hermione silently brought her hands to her ears to stifle the noise. Malfoy glanced at her and she gave him a sickly-sweet smile. _Alright, that's it. Something's up with her. She's never smiled at me. Ever._

He walked over to her, and her eyes followed him as she continued to smile. He squatted down to come to eye-level with her. He squinted his eyes and inspected her face.

For one thing, her eyes were hazy, like they were blocked by clouds. Her cheeks had a hint of rosiness to them, but Malfoy dismissed this as usual. She always had rosy cheeks. Her smile was too sweet to look at, almost artificial. It would occasionally twitched, like it was stuck in this position. Almost like there was someone on the other side, fighting to take over her body again…Malfoy shook his head. That was too creepy, even though he had seen much worse.

He concluded that Hermione wasn't herself, and _he_ needed to find a way out of here. Somehow, he had to get the centaurs' attention.

Looking around, he sighed, finally defeated. The only way he could and has gotten their attention was by something he wasn't itching to do again. Unenthusiastically, he grumbled over to the protected window. He took a few steps back as looked at it like it was a red flag and he was a bull. Suddenly, he launched himself at the dangerous barrier. In an instant, his whole body felt like it had been fried as he fell to the floor. The pain shot up and down his entire body. He groaned as he rolled around like he was trying to rub the electricity off of him onto the ground.

Suddenly, he heard a "zzz" then two seconds he heard another "zzz", and he froze in his place.

"Man, you stupid," exclaimed a voice, sounding almost amused.

"Eh?" was all that could come out of Malfoy's mouth.

"I never seen a human launch itself not once, but twice at that window."

"How…how many _its_ have you kept in here?"

"Why does it concern you?" a second voice asked suspiciously. This voice was richer and more proper than the first.

"It doesn't," Malfoy grumbled obediently, painfully propping himself up with his elbows. Standing in front of him were two centaurs. One had dreadlocks that sprung like little springs around his head. He was grinning, look back and forth between Hermione and Malfoy. The other stood a little straighter. He had silky, straight, pure black hair that moved by a soft breeze. He look cross with the blonde human lying on the floor.

"I don't advise you interact with this window again, unless what you desire is pain. We can give you plenty of that without the windows help." The silky-haired centaur said slowly but clearly as he stroked his staff. They both turned to leave, but Malfoy shouted after them.

"Wait!" Malfoy jumped to his feet.

"What is it? Haven't you wasted enough of my time?"

"Yeah, dude! Why can't you just chill?"

"I…" Malfoy stumbled with his words, but he remembered who he was, and straightened up. "I demand my wand back."

"Excuse me. You will not be _demanding_ anything for as long as you are here."

"And how long will that be?" asked Malfoy, nervous at how they might respond.

"Well, that all depends on you, doesn't it?" asked the silky-haired centaur as he raised an eyebrow teasingly. At this reply, 'dreadlocks' burst out laughing.

"Hahaha! Good one, Brock!" and he chuckled his way out of the hut. The magical window's barrier turned off, and the window stretched enough that they could easily walk through it. Then it closed behind their tails.

Malfoy sat there, stunned. _What do they mean, "that all depends on you"? What am I supposed to do? This is crap._ He looked around the room for answers, and his eyes once again landed on the slumbering girl. _Granger would know. She's good at thinking._ He walked over to her, snuggling warm under a fuzzy blanket. _Hey, I never got a blanket! Merlin, I hate this place._ He grabbed her shoulders, and shook her hard. Her head flopped lazily, and he let go. Her eyes fluttered open, but right away they softly closed. Malfoy huffed in frustration. _The one time I_ actually _want her to talk, and she won't frickin' wake up!_

"GRANGER!" he shouted in her ear. Hermione rolled over on her side in attempt to escape. _You know what, I've tried to be nice. Now, I have no mercy._ Grinning wickedly, Malfoy grabbed the fluffy blanket and yanked it all the way across the room. Hermione gasped from the sudden coldness, then began to…giggling? _I'm so done with this place._

Butch peeked childishly through the window, and quickly look away. Brock couldn't hold his curiosity any longer.

"Butch, what…what are they doing?" he asked, trying to ask in the most dignified way.

"Naw, nothin'"

"Well…well what's taking them so long?"

"She sleeping, just sleeping. Oh, wait! She's awake. She…is she laughing? I can't tell if she's laughing or crying."

"For goodness sake, Butch! Why on Mars would she be crying?" Brock asked as he shoved Butch out of the way. Snooping wasn't something he would normally do, but…it was his assignment. "I'm, I'm pretty sure she's laughing. Wait, she stopped. No! Don't go back to bed! Wake up!"

"Dear lord," muttered Brock. "Why can't they just hit it off and have our job be done?" Butch continued to yell at the window. "Fine, I'm bringing out the big guns. They won't stand a chance."

"What was that, Brock?" asked Butch, turning his head from the window.

"Follow me, Butch."

The two walked through the forest and approached a building. It was the only structure that was not made of vines, and few were allowed to enter. The walls were made of faded red brick and had zero windows. Inside, are 3 panels covered in buttons and switches. Electricity was said to be from the dark side of the moon, meaning it was forbidden, although, not completely. Turning off the mystical gases was important for occasions such as this, making it acceptable at this time.

Brock and Butch approached the brick building. Once they were at the door, Brock pushed Butch back and lowered his head to the doorknob. His horn clicked into the door lock and the metal door swung open. Brock approached the glowing set of buttons, examining each one. He pressed several, causing Butch to cover his mouth in excitement. As the finale, Brock pulled the giant, red switch which was labelled. It read: _CAUTION! TURNS OFF X GASES!_

Draco sat beside Hermione, deep in thought. Of course, usually he wouldn't be this close to her, but her mattress was loads more comfortable than his own. And anyways, she wasn't her usual jabbering self, so she wasn't much to his annoyance.

 _She's like my pet. She doesn't do much, and does whatever I ask._ He rubbed his hands together in glee. "Granger, hit your head against the wall."

Hermione stiffened, stood, and walked over to the wall, expressionless. Her eyes were the same as when they got here, clouded and grey. She banged her head against the walls of the room continuously. She did not seemed shaken from the pain, and remained expressionless.

"Hey fish-eyes, stop," he demanded, smirking to himself. He was proud of himself for discovering this new feature of the girl.

 _Wait a minute! I have the power to make a teenage girl do anything I want…but this isn't a regular teenage girl, this is Granger. Buck-toothed – well, she actually fixed that – butt kissing, know-it-all Granger._ His mind was racing, and he stared at Hermione, who was currently standing in front of the wall. _She is the opposite of my ideal girl, and she knows it. …So then she would know that if I_ did _do_ that, _she would know that I have absolutely no interest in her, even though I did that thing…I am so intelligent._ At that moment, Hermione's eyes turned back to their chocolate brown. _Sometimes, I just blow myself away. Fine, I've convinced myself. I've always wondered what was under those grandmother sweaters._

"Granger, take off your shirt!" he demanded. Hermione slowly turned to face him. Unaware of the disturbed girl, he repeated.

"Granger, I demand you to come here and take off your shirt!" he said again. He looked up at her expectantly. She cautiously began to walk towards the sitting teenage boy. She motioned him to stand up, and he willingly obeyed, barely able to contain his excitement. She suddenly raised her arm and slapped him as hard as she could.

Malfoy fell due to the impact and groaned, rolling on the floor like a child. He covered his red cheek with his hand as he was curled up in a ball.

"What kind of absurd demand is that? I can't believe after all this time! ... And making me bang my head against the wall? Are you thick?" yelled Hermione.

Malfoy composed himself and stood, towering over Hermione. Hermione didn't seemed fazed, in fact, the fire in her eyes blared.

"Let's just get one thing straight: I am not attracted to you, so don't go off thinking that I am. And I mean, I had total control over you, what hormonal teenager _wouldn't_ do something like that in that situation?" he added defensively.

"Really? That's your argument? I can just name a few non-perverts. Harry, for one, Ron-"

Malfoy cut her off. "Well, of course Potty doesn't feel the need to do that with you! He sees it every night! And Weasel is as gay as a-"

"Are you implying that I'm sleeping with Harry?" Hermione asked, shocked.

"Not implying, sweetheart, stating it," Malfoy said, now lounging on the mattress.

"I – ugh, don't call me that. And Ron, how in Merlin's beard would you think that Ron is gay? Didn't you see just last night how..." Hermione's eyes swelled with tears. She knew if she dared say anything more, they would fall.

"What's the matter, _sweetheart?_ " Malfoy asked, amused by his victory over the argument. Hermione shot him a tear filled glare, and he shut his mouth.

"…Well, don't expect me to comfort you," he added, his back facing her as he sat at the end of the bed.

"Don't worry, I wasn't going to ask," she said dryly.

Out of the blue, Hermione's yellow shirt and jeans turned into a big fluffy bunny suit. The hood of the suit sprouted 2 long ears that somehow stood upright.

"Wha-"

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" In an instant, Malfoy was rolling on the floor in laughter. As soon as he almost controlled himself, he would take a glimpse at her and would burst out laughing again. "HAHAHA! I MEAN (gasp) YOU EVEN HAVE A LITTLE BUNNY TAIL!" and off he went again. Hermione did not find this amusing at all. She stood scowling at the laughing blonde, crossing her arms and tapping her foot (paw).

In a burst of glitter, Hermione's horrendous bunny suit turned into a sleeveless silver medieval gown. The entire dress fell in cascading ruffles. Her hair was placed into a delicate bun. Many curly chestnut strands fell to the side, framing her face. Malfoy froze in his place, looking her up and down. His jaw dropped, but Hermione didn't seem to notice. Groaning, Hermione tugged at the torso of the gown.

"Ugh, am I wearing a corset? Merlin, it's uncomfortable!"

"Do you want me to take it off for you?" asked Draco, smirking at her. She shot him a deathly glare, daring him to say another word.

"Why is this happening?" Hermione whined desperately to nobody in particular.

"Don't ask me!"

"I wasn't."

"Crazy woman, talking to herself…" Malfoy muttered quietly, still eyeing Hermione.

At that little comment, Hermione moodily put her hands on her hips, which was actually great timing. At that moment, Hermione's gorgeous gown transformed into a sexy lingerie. It was a deep red with a sinking heart-line. There was a sticking pattern in the stomach area, and attached to it all was a thong. Hermione shrieked at her exposed body and attempted to cover her legs with her hands. Malfoy was acting like it was Christmas morning. Grinning like the Cheshire cat, he wondered why in Dumbledore's butt would Hermione not show this off. Her body was, spectacular, and all those years she had been _hiding it_ under _grandmother sweaters!_

"MALFOY, YOU'DE BETTER TELL ME WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE OR I SWEAR TO MERLIN I WILL BITCH SLAP YOUR ASS SO HARD-"

"WAIT A MOMENT! You're going to ' _slap_ _my ass'?_ I feel like would be the opposite of a punish-"

"YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!" she screamed, grabbing the blanket and wrapping it around her body securely. Both teenagers sighed, one out of relief and one out of disappointment.

Hermione plopped down next to Malfoy with a safe distance between them.

"Any clue on what's going on here?" asked Hermione hopefully.

"Not one," huffed Malfoy.

Hermione let out a long sigh and leaned her back against the wall. There was a big silence.

"This probably wasn't an accident. Someone's making this happen and they know it," declared Hermione. "But who?"

Malfoy turned his head to hers, and shook his head.

"I _cannot_ concentrate knowing that you're wearing lingerie under there." He motioned to the blanket. Hermione heaved another long sigh.

"Well, there's nothing I can do about it. My other clothes just disappeared into thin air!"

Another long silence.

"As long as you're wearing that, things are going to be awkward, aren't they?" Malfoy asked pleasantly.

"Oh, there's no question about it."

~DM~

 **Author's Note:** Okay, so I know that Malfoy seems like a disgusting jerk, but I really had fun writing this chapter. Please know if you liked it also by commenting!

I don't know if I should continue pasting in links to the outfits Hermione's wears. I know some people like to imagine those things themselves. Should I leave a link, or just describe the outfit?

I think it's pretty obvious who is controlling Hermione's outfits, but _why?_ What's the motive? Hmmmmm…

If some people want me to add in another outfit to the chapter, please let me know and I will write it in.


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